A Lifetime of Desolation
by Admiral T. DeVanto
Summary: The Noblesse is like a phoenix. From the ashes of his desolation, he is reborn. That is Raizel's curse, and he must endure it alone.


The body was cold and still. The tremors of pain had grown still a while ago. A crystal tear splattered onto the pale cheek, followed by another. Raizel did not bother to wipe them away as his silent tears fell over Frankenstein.

"Stay with me," he whispered, a plea. "Just a little longer." His embrace grew tighter. "Stay with me."

_Stay with me...forever. Just as you had promised. _

But Frankenstein could not answer. His eyes remained closed, and Raizel wished to see them open. He wished to see those bright blue eyes shining again once more; shining with a vibrant life, and not dull with pain. His breathing was soft and fragile and becoming all too brief and shallow. Raizel knew it was only a matter of time until his bonded ceased breathing all together.

Still, he clung to what was left.

The vast landscape was barren, hiding the remains of the battle that had taken place only hours ago. Raizel had seen the traces of what was left of M21. He did not have the courage to linger. He had sensed the traces of multiple deaths, the deaths of brave Nobles. He had not seen any sight of Takeo, but if the sniper was not by Raizel's side, then the Noblesse could only assume the worst.

He did not want to assume the worst. He wanted to hope for the best. But his reality was grim and would not let him experience the frailty of something so fleeting as hope.

"Are you sad?" The voice was filled with genuine disbelief, as if shocked at the mere thought of sadness lingering in such a desolate moment.

Raizel did not answer. He didn't even bother to look up and address the voice that broke through his solitude. Instead, he focused on Frankenstein. Wiping away the traces of blood from his bonded's forehead, Raizel could almost fool himself into thinking that Frankenstein was merely sleeping. Then, he would awaken, and all would be well.

What a fleeting, beautiful thought. Yes, he was merely sleeping. Raizel could believe that. He wanted to believe that.

"Wake up," he whispered.

_Wake up...and live. _

"What on earth could you have expected from the humans?" the voice continued. "What could you have expected from bugs like them?" Something was moving, and Raizel knew that the person was gesturing to the landscape before him, the very landscape that buried the bodies of Raizel's companions.

His family.

Raizel's aura flared. His glare would have been turned on the figure standing only a few feet away, except he found himself unwilling to look away from Frankenstein, watching for a hopeless miracle.

"But of course, I could see your reasoning." The voice was now sympathetic, and Raizel knew there was a soft smile tracing those pale lips. "After all, he was your bonded."

_Is. _For Raizel held onto the belief that Frankenstein was not dead yet. As long as Frankenstein breathed, Raizel still had him. He had nothing left to go back to. This desolate, unforgiving realm held all that he once had. The broken bodies of his family, the aura of his Noble companions lingering in the air; it all resided in this relentless reality he was trapped in.

But Frankenstein still stubbornly clung to life. His breathing was labored, so labored that his chest did not even rise and fall. Raizel's grip tightened, his forehead touching Frankenstein's in a silent plea.

_Please_

_don't_

_leave_

_me_

_**SNAP**_

Frankenstein ceased breathing.

Raizel gasped.

_No. Please no. _

Disgust lingered in the air as the figure sneered. "But despite that, he is still a human bug. With all his powers, he could never reach your level." The figure was moving forward. "You see, a bug is still a bug, even with a name and feelings of affection. They are worth nothing."

His vision was red. His heart was torn as his soul cried out for the bond. The void in his mind screamed for the warmth of his lost companion. He forgot what it had felt like to be alone, to live without this wonderful connection.

He still hoped for a miracle. He still hoped for Frankenstein to open his eyes, and smile, and bring him home where the children were. He still hoped, _begged, _for that normal life. He would walk through that door, and his family would be waiting for them. Frankenstein would move in his arms, open his eyes, and assure him that he was alright.

But Frankenstein did not move.

"What were you expecting from him?"

Raizel looked up and faced his indifferent brother. Blood dripped from his tear-stained eyes and down his cheeks. His power reached out, snapping in response to his pain and sudden anger.

"_**Die."**_

His brother smiled, even as he choked on his own blood. Falling to his knees, his brother gasped, staining the white sand a crimson red. Raizel stared uncaringly as his brother's lifeforce dwindled away at the command of the Noblesse.

"I...I cannot die." His brother looked up, still smiling. It only served to fuel Raizel's anger; an emotion almost foreign to him. Disgust curled up within him when his brother's gaze lingered on Frankenstein, and Raizel unleashed a torrent of his power on his brother's mind and body. How could something so precious, such as his family and his bonded, be cut off so abruptly? How could fate take away what he held most dear, and yet leave him with something he utterly despised?

_Life...is cruel. _

His body burned from within as anger and hurt filled him where love and hope once stood. His hands trembled as an uncontrollable desire nearly overwhelmed him at this intense..._hatred. _The sounds of his brother's painful cries, his screams, went unheard to his ears. He did not even blink at the sight of his brother's vanishing body.

"I'll always...come back...to you." His brother struggled to stand, but his body failed him. With a choked cry, he settled for kneeling. "I...will be reborn...from the ashes." His brother's face was sickeningly pale, flecks of his skin peeling away only to be blown away by the wind. "It is...my destiny." He closed his bloody eyes, his face melting away into ash. "Finally...it's just you...and me."

He watched as his brother vanished, the ashes dancing in the wind, mocking him with a silent promise. He would never be rid of him. They will constantly see each other, kill each other, hate each other. There was nothing he could do. When his life was once bearable, _enjoyable, _now it was empty with no promises of any life.

This was not life. His life had been meaningful, full of joy, love, family, hope.

This...this was not life, but it was not death either.

The disappearance of his brother was not enough. The death of his brother did not satisfy him. Raizel did not consider himself the vengeful type, but he entertained the idea of seeing his brother again, and inflicting pain on him. He had his methods, and he would not grant an easy escape on his brother. Even if his brother would never know the same pain as he felt, at least he could punish the very being who took everything away with malicious pleasure.

What infuriated him was that he would be robbed of death. He would never see his bonded and his family again. Death was denied of him, for he was to be reborn like a phoenix from the ashes of his destruction.

He bore his pain in silence. As a scream tore through his heart, he cried from within. His silence would fill his enemies with dread. Now, it trapped him with his memories and his desires. The days passed him, and he uncaringly stayed where he was, mourning for what was lost to him and what he could no longer have.

At some point, Raizel situated himself, still clinging to Frankenstein. He pulled the body of his bonded close, closing his eyes as he rocked back and forth, listening to the mournful howls of the wind blowing in the desert.

_I'll stay here...forever. Just to be near you. _


End file.
